


i think you're gold.

by kiddingway



Category: ITZY (Band), LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: 2jin - Freeform, College, Comedy, F/F, Football | Soccer, Skateboarding, They're a ragtag team, Young and dumb, god help them, goofballs, mystery gang - Freeform, ryeji - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23574643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiddingway/pseuds/kiddingway
Summary: "Operation make Yeji fall for Ryujin is officially a go."
Relationships: Hwang Yeji/Shin Ryujin, Jeon Heejin/Kim Hyunjin
Comments: 9
Kudos: 109





	1. on the pursuit of happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> heeeeeeey
> 
> heeey
> 
> how yall doin.

"You like—!"

Ryujin snapped her hand up quickly to cover Hyunjin's mouth, muffling the one name that didn't need to be announced for the whole world to hear. "Shut. Up," she hissed, adding more pressure when Hyunjin attempted to speak again. 

They had been sitting by the benches taking their cleats and shinguards off after practice, the rest of their team already walking off the field, the two of them staying behind like they always did to wait for Heejin and Yeji. It'd become something of a tradition—if they could even call it that—to meet up with the other two so they could catch some dinner or some ice cream or even just head back home to relax. They'd all become some sort of ragtag type of team after Hyunjin finally had the guts to start dating Heejin. They practically became the Mystery Gang minus the Mystery Machine, a dog, mysteries to be solved, or any men—but it's the thought that counts. 

(Besides, they all claimed each of their characters; Ryujin had proudly claimed Fred, Hyunjin was more than happy to be Shaggy, Heejin had to be convinced to be Velma, and Yeji was all for being Daphne—their Scooby was Hyunjin's cat Butternut Squash. It all fit together like a puzzle.)

Except, one slip up from Ryujin and Hyunjin pounced as quick as a fox.

And with Hyunjin yelling so loud, Ryujin was worried someone would hear, especially if Heejin and Yeji were on their way. "It's not like _that_ , you're taking things way out of proportion." Ryujin still spoke in a hushed whisper, acting as if anything louder would attract everyone's attention. "I said I _like_ hanging out with her, not that I _like-like_ her. You heard wrong, idiot."

It was technically the truth. Ryujin had said something along those lines but she was just trying to mediate the situation so that Hyunjin wouldn't make a bigger deal out of it. And, besides, she _did_ like hanging out with Yeji. The girl was fun to be around and their little gang wouldn't be complete without her—or anyone for that matter. So she did _not_ have any sort of feelings toward Yeji other than a mutual friendship. Nothing more, nothing less. 

However, when Ryujin felt something slick and wet slide across her palm, she was quick to recoil her hand away from Hyunjin's mouth—creating a noise of disgust as she wiped the saliva off on Hyunjin's practice jersey. 

"Dude! What the fuck!"

"You like Yeji!" Hyunjin yelled out immediately, managing to dodge Ryujin's hand lunging for her mouth again. She laughed at Ryujin as she evaded her, continuing to taunt and tease, "You like her!" 

"Shut up! I don't!" Ryujin popped both her cleats off, Hyunjin already beginning to roll her black socks down to remove the shinguards. 

But Hyunjin just couldn't keep her mouth shut. " _Ryujin and Yeji sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N—_ " Hyunjin released a terrorized scream when Ryujin lunged for her, completely barreling forward to try and trap Hyunjin beneath her, ultimately missing when she rolled away from her attack. 

The two of them were standing now, facing each other with enough space between them so that it'd stake some effort for Ryujin to try and close the gap. Hyunjin had her arm extended out, keeping the distance between them despite Ryujin wanting nothing more than wipe that aggravating, shit-eating grin off Hyunjin's face. 

Lifting her own hand, Ryujin pointed at Hyunjin and made herself clear, "I _don't_ like Yeji like that."

That Cheshire grin only widened and Ryujin already knew what was coming. "First comes love!" Hyunjin shouted from the top of her lungs. But just as Ryujin broke out into a sprint, so did Hyunjin, deftly avoiding Ryujin as she continued to shout the rest of the kid's song, "Then comes marriage!" Hyunjin dashed away, laughing and continuing the song, "Then comes baby in the baby carriage!" 

Despite having just ended practice, the two sprinted around the soccer field as if they'd each just injected a gallon of Monster energy drink into their veins. Hyunjin zig-zagged her way around Ryujin, laughing and enjoying this way too much for Ryujin's own good. They ran all along the length of the soccer field, Ryujin chasing her and yelling out threats while Hyunjin just laughed or continued to taunt her. There were many times Ryujin was close to grabbing onto Hyunjin's jersey, but somehow she'd find this renewed burst of energy and increase the gap between them just enough so that all Ryujin grabbed at was air. It was frustrating, but she'd be damned if she let Hyunjin get away with it. 

Ryujin anticipated Hyunjin's next move, having learned from years and years of not only playing alongside her in soccer but also just being insane enough to stick with the knucklehead all throughout her childhood. It was a move Hyunjin always liked to pull during games—even when they would play tag as children back then. She'd do this mini sidestep toward one direction, positioning her body facing that direction in order to trick whoever she was up against, only to pull the rug right from under them as she'd spin her body one-hundred-eighty degrees around behind them. It was like she'd run them in circles; running around and behind her opponent to confuse them only to run free with a significant lead again. 

Hyunjin made up the move herself. Always worked like a charm, and if she had a ball to her feet, she'd always add a little flair to it to make it work. 

But Ryujin knew Hyunjin better than she knew herself. 

And she saw the move coming from a mile away. 

She saw the way Hyunjin was positioning her body and waited until Hyunjin spun her body around before she stuck her leg out, successfully tripping Hyunjin and sending her sprawling onto the grass. 

(In any soccer game, that would've been an automatic red card. But this wasn't any soccer game; this was _war_.)

Before Hyunjin could attempt to pick herself back up, Ryujin dove on top of her, laughing in triumph while Hyunjin laughed in glee and amusement. Both of them were out of breath, chests heaving, wearing sweat-soaked clothes but that didn't stop them from trying to surpass the other in a display of strength. They were competitive to no end. Not a day went by that they didn't challenge each other to something. It's what kept their friendship alive so often. 

Sometimes Ryujin would win, sometimes Hyunjin would win, sometimes they'd even end up in a draw. 

But not this time; Ryujin absolutely _could not_ let Hyunjin win. 

She had the upper hand; she had Hyunjin down and everything. There was no way she was gonna lose. 

"You guys join the wrestling team now?"

Ryujin froze, instantly recognizing the voice behind her. 

( _Maybe_ Ryujin felt her heart speed up but she immediately dismissed it for the fact she just ran around the entire soccer field chasing Hyunjin _and_ then tackled her to the ground.)

However, in her brief moment of weakness, Hyunjin was able to duck forward and shove Ryujin off of her, pushing her hard enough that she landed with a thud on her back and all the air rushed out of her lungs. "Ha!" Hyunjin cheered, jumping up to her feet quickly only to stand over Ryujin in victory. "I win!" 

Scowling and glaring at her friend, Ryujin weakly wheezed out a, "Fuck you," before promptly flipping her off. Hyunjin only laughed but still offered her hand down for her to take, which she did, silently appreciating the help as she stood back up on her feet. 

Huffing out a breath—and instantly regretting it when she felt a dull pain in her chest—Ryujin began patting herself off and getting rid of any dirt or grass that clung to her body. 

"Be nice, Hyun." Hearing Heejin scold Hyunjin made Ryujin snicker but she didn't dare look up to expose her expression. 

"What— I helped her up!"

"You pushed her over!"

"She tackled me!" 

The couple continued to bicker, continually going back and forth as Ryujin felt content and amused to just sit by and listen as she picked at her clothes. 

But then a hand gently grabbed onto her elbow, and when she looked up, she saw Yeji with an equally amused expression as she tugged Ryujin away with one hand as she held her longboard with it tucked under her arm. "C'mon, let's leave Shaggy and Velma to work themselves out."

Ryujin turned back to look at Hyunjn and Heejin, looking to see if they noticed them discreetly sneaking away, but they were so caught up in their own world they didn't even notice their sudden absence. So she nodded and let herself be dragged away from Yeji, watching the small smile on her face grow into a grin. 

(And _maybe_ Ryujin really enjoyed seeing her grin like that because it made her nose scrunch up and her eyes squint in a manner that sent Ryujin's mind into overdrive. But it wasn't that deep; she just liked Yeji's smile just as much as the next person.)

To really just sprinkle salt into the wound, Ryujin left her duffle bag with all her soccer gear by Hyunjin's bag, forcing her to take it back to their apartment so that she wouldn't have to lug it around while she hung out with Yeji. A little bit of payback for teasing her so much; Ryujin only thought it was fair. And she knew Hyunjin wouldn't just leave it behind—even if she wanted to, Heejin would be there to make sure she did. 

They began walking off the field, repeatedly turning around to see if either of them would at least notice them leaving but they were still stuck in their own little world, Ryujin wouldn't even be surprised if they could make it all the way back to the apartment complex without either of them knowing they had left. 

"They really don't know we're leaving, huh?" Yeji asked, shifting her hold on her longboard so that she was practically hugging it to her chest. 

Ryujin shook her head, leading Yeji through the soccer field toward the bleachers. "Yeah, they'll be like that for a while if we're lucky." If she was being honest with herself, Ryujin was looking forward to hanging out only with Yeji. She liked the other two just as much, mind you, but some one-on-one time with Yeji could be fun. 

Yeji laughed, causing an involuntary smile to form on Ryujin's face. But just as they were about to pass the bleachers and walk past the athletic building, their peace was disturbed with a loud, "Hey!" from the behind them. 

They were so close. 

Sighing, Ryujin turned around to see Hyunjin struggling to lug both duffle bags as she ran toward them, Heejin behind her walking at a leisurely pace with her longboard dragging behind her. "Man," Ryujin huffed under her breath. "I really thought they'd be out here all night." 

Yeji laughed again and Ryujin watched as she leaned against one of the beams supporting the bleachers. "Me too." 

Ryujin had a brief moment where all she could do was admire Yeji. She wasn't even doing anything special, but Ryujin couldn't take her eyes off her. Ryujin wasn't _that_ much of an idiot; Yeji was gorgeous. Anyone could see that. So it only felt natural that her mind reacted accordingly when she saw someone attractive, the same went for Yeji. It was nothing more than a chemical reaction in her brain, all those neurons sending red, blaring signals whenever she saw a pretty girl. 

Yeah, that's all it was. 

"You assholes were about to leave us!" Ryujin snapped her head over to Hyunjin, her eyes widening when she saw her duffle bag being thrown right toward her head. She hastily ducked, feeling the air whisk by her harshly as her duffle flew over her head and landed with a dull thud behind her. 

"What the fuck!" Ryujin whipped her head back around, glaring at Hyunjin who only returned the glare right back at her. "What is wrong with you!"

Strolling nonchalantly up to them, Heejin simply brought her hand up to flick Hyunjin's forehead, mumbling a quiet, "We just talked about this," as Hyunjin flinched and rubbed the sore spot. 

Glancing toward Yeji who hadn't moved from her spot next to the bleachers, Ryujin caught her muffling her laughter with a hand covering her mouth, her eyes disappearing behind her cheeks. 

(Whether she was laughing at Ryujin's dismay or Hyunjin's psychopathic tendencies, Ryujin couldn't help but think she'd love to be the reason why Yeji smiled. Even if it meant almost getting killed in the process.) 

"C'mon," Hyunjin called out, and as Ryujin briefly turned toward her, she saw her extending her arms upward in a stretch and releasing a loud yawn. "Let's go home, I'm beat." 

Ryujin just couldn't pass up the opportunity to be snarky toward her friend, "Yeah, beating people up really tires you out." She walked toward her duffle, bending over to pick it up and slinging the strap over her shoulder with a huff. 

"Man, you're just pressed because I won earlier," she heard Hyunjin comment from behind her. And while it dug slightly under her skin, Yeji came up beside her and bumped her shoulder with her own, looking over at Ryujin with a soft smile while mouthing 'Ignore her'. 

And maybe Ryujin felt compelled enough to not get into it with Hyunjin because she was just as tired too. Yeah, that was it. 

Adjusting the strap on her shoulder, Ryujin mumbled, "Whatever, let's just get out of here." 

No one else seemed to object as they all followed Ryujin away from the soccer field and toward the town. The sun had already set, the waning moon not quite at its peak but slowly creeping its way up to the top. With it still being early in the spring and with the sun gone, it left brisk breezes that still chilled her to the bone and made her wish she had remembered to bring her jacket. But it wasn't too bad and she wouldn't be cold for long, the walk to their apartment complex was a rather short one. 

Only five minutes into the walk and suddenly an arm was thrown over her shoulders, nearly making her tumble over with her duffle and almost tipping her over. So when she turned to Hyunjin to give her a piece of her mind, she was shut up when she saw the suspicious grin on her face. 

Scowling and leading them over to the sidewalk, Ryujin tried shrugging her arm off but to no avail. "What?" she grumbled, irritated at the fact that Hyunjin acted like a parasite clinging to her body. 

But then Hyunjin stopped her in her tracks and dropped her arm from her shoulders, turning around to the other two who had been chatting behind them quietly. "Ladies," she announced theatrically, making Ryujin roll her eyes as she watched Hyunjin dramatically bow in front of them while also motioning toward their longboards. "If you could oh so kindly lend us your valiant steeds so that you could make this trip a little easier for your dashing knights in shining armor." 

Yeji giggled while Heejin failed to hide her amused grin with an eye roll, but nonetheless they gave Hyunjin their longboards. Already knowing the drill, Ryujin waited until Hyunjin set Yeji's board under her duffle bag while she set her own bag on Heejin's. With their duffles on top of the longboards, they no longer had to strain their shoulders from the weight and could now easily use it like a makeshift suitcase. 

(Yeji had actually come up with the idea awhile back and Ryujin and Hyunjin's shoulders have never felt greater relief.)

Just as Ryujin was about to start walking again, Hyunjin butted in by moving herself slightly to the side and bowing again. "After you, ladies," she used the same dumb, suave voice they usually do in movies and let the other two walk ahead of them, not before hearing Heejin's 'Dumbass' and Yeji's 'Dork' comments being made toward her. Ryujin snickered, enjoying the way Hyunjin's efforts failed at making herself look charming. But then Hyunjin slung her arm right back around Ryujin's shoulders and it took everything within her being to not launch her fist into Hyunjin's stomach. 

"Let's cut to the chase, Ryu," Hyunjin began, her voice significantly lowered enough that Ryujin doubted the other two ahead of them could hear. "You like Yeji." Ryujin was about to exclaim, her mouth open and ready to spit her denials left and right, but Hyunjin's hand clamped down on her mouth so quickly she wasn't even able to get a single syllable out. "Listen! Listen!" Hyunjin sounded hushed— _for the first time_ —trying to calm Ryujin down. "It's as clear as day, dude. You don't make it subtle." 

Ryujin faltered, her mind running rampant trying to think of what exactly she was not being subtle about. She didn't think she had been doing anything at all. 

She pulled down Hyunjin's hand but didn't say anything. She didn't even know what to say. What was there to say? 

Picking her gaze up, she looked at Yeji ahead, watched the way she walked close enough to Heejin so that they bumped shoulders, she noticed the wide grin she had on her when she'd look to Heejin, she'd even hear her quiet laughter whenever Heejin said something funny. Something about Yeji just being there filled her with ease in a way that was different than how it was whenever she was with Hyunjin or Heejin. 

Did she like Yeji?

As if sensing her inner troubles—and Ryujin wouldn't put it past Hyunjin to know exactly what she was going through—Hyunjin tugged Ryujin closer, almost like a huddle, to tell her, "I can help you."

"Help?" Ryujin finally spoke up, although, her voice was a little weaker than she would have liked it to have been. 

"Yeah!" Hyunjin exclaimed a little too loud, making Ryujin flinch and look toward Heejin and Yeji, but they paid them no mind; too wrapped up in their own conversation.

"Help how? Help with what?" She needed clarification because the last time she let Hyunjin help her, she had to explain to everyone why and how her hair got dyed pink —all she ever told anyone was that it was Hyunjin's fault. 

A grin formed on Hyunjin's face that sent tremors down Ryujin's spine; she didn't trust that look. "Help you get the girl!" At least she wasn't as loud as before, but the idea was so absurd to her that it made her scrunch her face up and shake her head. 

"What? No. No, I—you're not helping me get anything with _anyone_." 

"But it's not just anyone!" Hyunjin removed her arm off of Ryujin's shoulders—much to her relief—and gestured toward Yeji a couple of yards away from them, still out of hearing range. "I'll help you get together with Yeji!"

This was crazy. Ryujin couldn't believe Hyunjin was delusional enough to believe that they could be together. 

Ryujin shook her head, unable to help the frown that tugged her lips down. "No. No way, you're not doing shit." She didn't want it to happen. It was just Hyunjin manifesting her insane ideals into her mind and she was not going to go down the rabbit hole. Ryujin wasn't about to dive into another one of Hyunjin's plans blindly. 

"What— oh, come on, Ryu." Ryujin watched as Hyunjin slouched her shoulders childishly, tilting her head at Ryujin as if she were some guilty puppy. But she wasn't budging. "How do you think I managed to snatch Heejin?"

And Ryujin just had to laugh because she was there when it happened. "You accidentally stepped on her skateboard and it rolled right from under you. You fell flat on your fuckin' face, dude." It was a wonder why Heejin had ever said yes to Hyunjin while she was lying on the ground in pain with scratches on her elbows and face. 

(Ryujin was convinced Heejin felt bad for Hyunjin and accepted out of pity, but deep down she always knew Heejin had a soft spot for the dork.)

"And guess who still got the girl?" Ryujin rolled her eyes because there was no way she could deny that. 

"You got lucky," she replied bitterly, unable to get herself to admit defeat to Hyunjin. 

"And you could get lucky too!" 

Ryujin wasn't sure why Hyunjin was pushing at it so much. She'd always been brash and reckless but this was a whole other level. It made Ryujin feel weird about it. She couldn't even get a good sense of it herself which was enough of a red flag for her to not pursue whatever it was she felt toward Yeji—which might not be anything at all and it could just be Hyunjin planting things in her head. 

When Ryujin didn't respond, Hyunjin tried pushing her luck again, "What do you have to lose?"

And it was that question that finally rang the bells clear in her mind. 

There was so much to lose. 

When she looked at Yeji, she saw someone she never wanted to lose. She couldn't afford to let her slip through her fingers, especially not if it could be her own fault. She wouldn't know what to do with herself. She didn't even know when these sort of feelings developed but one thing was for sure: she didn't want to ruin something she had with someone just for the sake of her own selfish feelings. 

So, rather than just telling that to Hyunjin, Ryujin decided to put up her walls of defenses and disregard the idea altogether—just like she had been doing from the start. "I'm not doing it, Hyun. I don't like Yeji like that." The words felt dull to her now that she actually acknowledged her feelings. "I already told you."

But god forbid she befriended someone as stubborn and hardheaded as her. "Man, I'm not fallin' for that shit, Ryujin, I'm not as dense as you think. _You like her_." 

Ryujin flinched not only from how true the words were but also from how Hyunjin's voice had hardened. She only ever got serious if it was something worth getting serious over—but Ryujin didn't think this situation called for that much attention. She still wasn't sure why Hyunjin was pushing for it so much. 

"Hyunjin—" 

"No, listen to me, Ryujin." Ryujin looked at Hyunjin surprised, but all she saw was her furrowed brow and her mouth set in a thin line. "This'll be good for you. I know it will be. You can't dance around this shit like a pussy." She was baffled; completely speechless. Wherever this monologue was coming from was stunning Ryujin into silence. "If you try and push those feelings away," she jabbed a finger at Ryujin's chest, "you're only going to make things worse for yourself _and_ Yeji."

That shone some new light onto Ryujin. But it still didn't reassure her. All she saw was no good end no matter how she tried to look at the situation. 

"Hey!" Both of them snapped their attention back in front of them, watching Heejin and Yeji turned toward them with a lot of ground between the pairs. "Catch up, slowpokes!" Heejin called out, already spinning back around with Yeji in tow, probably returning back to whatever conversation they were having before. 

"Coming!" Hyunjin yelled back, momentarily losing the seriousness she had displayed moments before. But it returned just as quick when she spoke to Ryujin again, "Don't fuck things up, Ryu. It's not as complicated as you make it out to be. But I can seriously help you, okay?" 

She didn't wait for Ryujin to respond because she broke out into a light jog, her duffle bag jostling dangerously on top of the longboard, and caught up to Heejin and Yeji, fitting herself between them and casually edging herself closer to Heejin. 

Ryujin was going to simply let the three of them walk ahead of her, completely content with having some alone time to gather her thoughts and try and figure this whole thing out. But then she saw Yeji look over her shoulder, a curious expression on her face. Ryujin, in hopes of letting Yeji know she was fine, sent her a thumbs up and a smile she hoped was convincing. 

But maybe it wasn't convincing enough because Yeji slowed her pace down until Ryujin inevitably caught up with her. Warmth bloomed in Ryujin's chest at the gesture, but the nerves were quickly overpowering the sensation when she realized she hadn't even had five minutes to fully understand what she was feeling. 

"Hey," Yeji greeted, walking alongside Ryujin now, "you okay?" 

She didn't feel okay. Hyunjin's words stuck to her like an annoying splinter wedged into her skin she couldn't get out. Her head was swimming and all she wanted to do was sit under the showerhead and let the hot water wash off any guilt she felt, but why did she even feel guilty? She hadn't done anything to deserve feeling the weight of guilt on her shoulders. 

"Yeah," Ryujin rolled her shoulders back, trying to prove to Yeji that there wasn't anything up with her. "I'm all good, why?"

When she glanced at Yeji, she saw the way she was staring at the ground, her hands in her hoodie pockets as she shrugged. "I guess..." she trailed off for a moment before she released a small sigh. "I guess you seem a little off today."

And there was the source of her guilt. Just like Hyunjin said. 

Still, she didn't want to give the impression that anything was up with her, so she tried flashing a small grin as she bumped Yeji's shoulder with her own. "There's nothin' up with me, you don't have to worry."

"I know, I know." Yeji reciprocated the grin, although it didn't hold its usual shine the way Ryujin was used to seeing. Ryujin watched as Yeji lowered her gaze back to the ground as they walked, her head hanging kind of low and her feet dragging a little. "But you'll tell me if something's wrong, right? It's not good to keep things bottled up, y' know?" 

The guilt barreled into her like some sort of battering ram being launched full force at her. It was like Yeji was saying all the right things in order to break all the defenses she fought so hard to keep up. Not even Hyunjin had been able to do something so easily. 

She was convinced Yeji was some sort of mind reader. 

Swallowing the lump in her throat and nodding shakily, Ryujin cast her gaze down at the ground too. "Yeah, no, I get it." It shouldn't have been that difficult to get the words out. When did it become so hard to speak?

Ryujin wasn't sure if Yeji was going to say anything else, because right then, Hyunjin could be heard whooping loudly and Heejin laughing from up ahead. And when Ryujin looked up to see what all the commotion was about, all she saw was Heejin sitting on top of Hyunjin's duffle bag as if it was some kind of pony while Hyunjin pulled the straps of her bag forward, effectively rolling Heejin forward. 

While Ryujin was still sort of out of it and only felt puzzled at the sight, Yeji had laughed and clapped her hands in amusement. 

She turned back to the other two goofing around, having moved to the middle of the street since there was an absence of cars. Hyunjin ran Heejin around in circles, with the latter clutching onto the duffle bag tightly; it was a wonder how the bag hadn't flown off the board and Heejin along with it. 

But if those two knuckleheads could do it, why couldn't they?

"C'mon." Ryujin beckoned to Yeji, leading her to the middle of the street. 

"Wait, really?" her voice pitched higher when she asked, sounding too eager for her own good and only encouraging Ryujin to follow through with the plan so she could escape all the confusing thoughts and feelings. 

"Yeah! We gotta catch up to them, c'mon!" Yeji rushed to get on, continuously giggling like a little kid excited to ride a rollercoaster. Ryujin couldn't help smiling at the sight, feeling warmth bloom in her chest at the prospect of making Yeji feel that enthusiasm because of her. "Ready?" she asked when she saw Yeji situated on her duffle bag. 

Yeji, in return, threw her a thumbs up with the toothiest grin she had ever seen grace her face. "Ready!" she called out excitedly. 

Ryujin started off slow, struggling to pick up momentum at first, but after a few short seconds, she was off and on a steady pace toward Hyunjin and Heejin who were still going around in circles. 

Soon enough, it was easy pulling Yeji along. And behind Ryujin, Yeji was having the time of her life; laughing and cheering loudly. 

(And, _god_ , if it just didn't spur Ryujin on even more, chasing to feel that sensation of giving Yeji the entire world.) 

Laughing along with her, Ryujin quickly passed Hyunjin and Heejin, whisking right by them and leaving them in the dust. "Race you home!" Ryujin yelled over her shoulder, snickering as she continued running, knowing Hyunjin wouldn't ever miss the opportunity for a challenge. 

"No fair!" she heard Hyunjin complain from behind her, but it only made Ryujin laugh even more. "I'm dizzy and you got a headstart!"

There was a dull strain in both her legs as she continued to pull Yeji, but with her mind in the clouds and the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she couldn't find herself worrying about the soreness she'll have to face tomorrow. All she wanted to do was run even faster to make sure she beat Hyunjin.

"Faster! Faster!" Yeji cheered. And who would Ryujin be if she didn't abide by her request?

Ignoring all the pain surging up her legs, Ryujing powered forward as much as she could knowing Hyunjin couldn't be that that far behind.

There was a turn coming up and all Ryujin could do was pray that it wouldn't send Yeji sprawling on concrete (she would never forgive herself if she let anything happen to Yeji). Her grip tightened just as she was rounding the bend, feeling the strap of her bag pull her arm back painfully, but Ryujin, with all the strength she could muster, pulled the strap back straight behind her. 

There was no change in weight nor did she hear anything other than loud cheering from behind her, only making Ryujin realize she successfully made it around the corner with Yeji intact. Joining in with Yeji, Ryujin laughed loudly before finding renewed energy. 

Their apartment was only two more blocks away and, despite knowing Hyunjin was able to keep Heejin on the duffle bag, Ryujin knew there was no way she was losing. Not when she had Yeji encouraging her with every step closer and the dopamine shooting straight to her brain. 

Two blocks turned to one, and when they got near, Ryujin told Yeji to use her feet to help slow them down so that they wouldn't barrel into the curb up ahead. When they managed to stop, Ryujin stood there on shaky and unstable legs, completely out of breath and feeling all the pain her brain chose to ignore when she began running rampant. 

But then she's nearly knocked into the ground when two arms circle around her neck in a strong embrace, pulling her close and laughing right in her ear. 

And it couldn't possibly be Hyunjin because she'd actually be on the ground struggling to win another demonstration of brute strength. 

Simply feeling Yeji's warmth engulf her was enough to set her mind at ease better than any other remedy known to man. The weight of Yeji's arms over her shoulders and the way she squeezed Ryujin close was enough for her to melt into the embrace (or maybe it was the way her legs were seconds away from giving out). The sound of her laugh being the result of Ryujin's tireless efforts. 

"That was so much fun!" Yeji yelled, her words broken up by giggles in between. "We gotta do it again!" 

And then Ryujin thought about how good it felt. How she could feel herself get addicted to the sweet feeling of Yeji hugging her, enjoying the way her heart swelled in that cliche way she never thought she could experience. It felt good being that close to Yeji without any fear or doubt in the world. It felt so good to feel happiness like that, she needed to pursue and chase that feeling forever. 

She needed more of it. And Ryujin—no matter how much it pained her to admit it—knew Hyunjin was right. She had to do something about it, but she needed her help to do it. 

"Damn it!" Ryujin and Yeji both turned when Hyunjin and Heejin finally arrived, the former looking more distraught than the one laughing so hard that she ended up slumped over the duffle bag. Hyunjin then pointed an accusatory finger toward Ryujin, "You cheated!" 

Before Ryujin could even think of a rebuttal toward her friend, Yeji maneuvered them so that she was blocking Hyunjin's finger from being pointed at her. "You shoulda just ran faster!" Yeji taunted, even going so far as to stick her tongue out playfully at Hyunjin. 

(And maybe it was right at that moment that Ryujin's mind was finally, officially made up. There was just something about Yeji making fun of Hyunjin for losing that made her swoon like some lovestruck fool.)

"What— Heejin, you hear that?" Hyunjin turned her body toward her girlfriend with a thumb pointed at Yeji, but Heejin was still trying to recover from the high she was riding, leaving Hyunjin alone to fight her battles outnumbered. 

"Face it, Hyun," Ryujin called out, feeling emboldened with Yeji still around her. "You lost and I won." It felt good rubbing it Hyunjin's face, it was just so comical seeing how annoyed Hyunjin could get when she lost at something. 

"Man, whatever." Hyunjin waved them off dismissively, moving over to Heejin and helping her get up. 

So when Heejin was finally up on her feet, she shot her arms straight up and yelled, "That was so much fuckin' fun!" Hyunjin had flinched away when it was practically shouted in her ear making Ryujin laugh in her dismay with Yeji joining her, but Ryujin didn't know if she was laughing at Hyunjin or Heejin—probably both of them.

"Okay, okay." Ryujin's laughs quieted down and she was able to successfully garner everyone's attention. "Let's go, I'm literally so fucking exhausted it's insane." Even just admitting it out loud made her want to collapse on the floor and never get up again. 

But she got murmurs of agreement all around, so Yeji untangled herself from Ryujin, letting her collect her bag while Yeji grabbed her longboard from the ground. They all began their small, perilous trek toward their building and up the two flights of stairs to the second floor, chatting quietly amongst themselves about their little impromptu race and agreeing unanimously on having a rematch soon. 

And then they made it to their floor, visibly exhausted and dying to get to their beds as soon as they walked through their doors. Except, as Ryujin was about to wish Heejin and Yeji goodnight (Ryujin and Hyunjin lived together while Heejin and Yeji were together; they were lucky enough to snag rooms right across from each other), she turned to see Hyunjin pulling Heejin close and giving her a short and sweet kiss before she murmured something quietly to her. Heejin only smiled up at Hyunjin with the most love-sick expression on her face, looking like a puppy in that very moment. Hyunjin looked just as much as a sap as she did. 

It was nothing out of the ordinary, but then she had accidentally glanced at Yeji to finding her admiring the couple for a few moments before she, too, turned toward Ryujin. Rather than feeling awkward about it, Ryujin felt herself become rejuvenated when she saw the warm smile on Yeji's face, the faint red blossoming on her cheeks, the joy she saw in her eyes. 

_She had to do it._

Hyunjin and Heejin finally separated, Ryujin finally being able eliciting a goodnight to everyone, which was then reciprocated by the rest with their own quiet replies. She followed Hyunjin into their home, absentmindedly shutting the door and locking it shut as Hyunjin turned on the lights to their living room, being immediately greeted by Butternut who jumped into Hyunjin's arms the moment she turned around. 

"Hyun," Ryujin called out numbly, her mind feeling blissfully blank. Hyunjin responded with a hum, too caught up with the way her cat was butting his head against Hyunjin's jaw but still letting Ryujin know she was listening. "How do I do it?" 

"Do what?" she asked distractedly, still too busy giving Butternut all the attention in the world. 

She wished Hyunjin could have just figured out what she was asking because, in her current state of mind, she wasn't able to come up with a better way to ask what she needed help with. "How do I get the girl?" It had been so hard to say it out loud and she knew it would just inflate Hyunjin's ego hearing the words come out of her mouth. 

It was freaky how Hyunjin and Butternut both turned slowly to look at Ryujin. It was like they shared a mind; a soul; it was like they were tethered together. They both even wore the same blank expression as they stared at her. 

"You need help?" Hyunjin asked, sounding much too relaxed for Ryujin's liking. 

"Yes," she sighed out, knowing that there was no way out of it. "I need your help."

"Really?" 

"Really." 

Ryujin's seen Hyunjin's mischievous too many times to count, but this one took the cake. 

"Operation make Yeji fall for Ryujin is officially a go."

* * *

[twitter](https://twitter.com/Kiiddway)   
[cc](https://t.co/gV4f0zUAPg?amp=1)


	2. see? i love that feeling too.

[TW for some marijuana use]

* * *

Apparently, according to Hyunjin, all Ryujin had to do was rely on her. 

Which, if Ryujin was being absolutely, completely honest, sounded like the worst idea to ever have been thought of since she was born. 

"Listen, it's real simple, Ryu." Hyunjin clapped her hands together, pacing back and forth behind the coffee table as Ryujin lied on the couch, contently playing a game on her phone. "Ryujin? Ryujin. Ryu. Listen. Hey."

Hyunjin began snapping her fingers, but all of Ryujin's attention was on her phone as she tried passing the next level of her game. "Hold on."

"What the fuck." Before Ryujin knew it, Hyunjin had plucked her phone right out of her hands and turned it off, tossing it into her hoodie pockets and crossing her arms over her chest. 

From the couch, Ryujin sputtered, her hands dropping to her stomach as she stared at Hyunjin irritatedly. "Dude! I was so close to beating that level."

"This is serious!" Hyunjin countered back, glaring back at Ryujin who only rolled her eyes and covered her face with an arm, refusing to look at Hyunjin. "You asked me to help you last night, so that's what I'm gonna do."

Thinking back to the night before, Ryujin was beginning to regret ever going to Hyunjin to begin with—she regretted even letting something like that slip in the first place. "I don't even know if I wanna go through with this anymore." Truth be told, she was having doubts. When she admitted to Hyunjin that she needed help, she'd been half-dead from exhaustion and she hadn't been thinking straight. 

"Man, don't give me that bullshit." Ryujin winced at Hyunjin's tone, recognizing the annoyance underlying her words. "Don't pussy out on me now."

"I'm not 'pussying' my way out of anything, Hyun." Ryujin sighed, moving to sit up properly on the couch and rest her hands on her knees as she looked up at Hyunjin. "It's just—" she cut herself off, looking down at her suddenly bouncing knee—an annoying habit she could never shake off— trying desperately to find the words that'll sound right out loud without making herself look like a total wuss. "What if it doesn't go well? You know? I-I'm just skeptical 'bout all of this."

"All right, listen, Ryu." Hyunjin moved around the coffee table, settling herself next to Ryujin. "I know what you're feeling, trust me. It’s always gonna be confusing, but that’s why you got me to help you out." 

And, it hurt to admit, but Ryujin knew exactly what she was talking about. She remembered all the times Hyunjin came to her with all these questions and doubts about Heejin before they began dating, thinking too hard about the consequences and not going through with things when she needed to. 

Ryujin just hated that she was in that situation now. 

"I-I dunno, Hyun." Ryujin fell back against the couch, furrowing her brows as all these conflicting thoughts invaded her mind. "What if this is just some stupid," she waved her hand around her head to gesticulate her next words, "weird hormonal thing my brain is going through?"

"What, getting a crush on someone?" Hyunjin scoffed and let her body fall right next to Ryujin's on the back of the couch. "That'll never go away."

Her wording threw Ryujin off, causing her to look at Hyunjin with the most incredulous expression she could muster. "Are you saying you still get crushes despite being with Heejin?"

Hyunjin finally seemed to understand what she said and turned to Ryujin so quickly it was a wonder how she didn't get whiplash. "No!" Then, she narrowed her eyes and pointed at Ryujin accusingly, "Don't twist my words."

A little shocked that Hyunjin would turn on her so suddenly, Ryujin couldn’t help the surprised chuckle that escaped her as she refuted, “I’m not twisting anything! You’re the one who said you never stop having crushes!”

“That’s not exactly what I meant!” Her case wasn’t very strong and she didn’t even sound too confident in her words. 

“Oh yeah?” Ryujin tilted her head to the side, smiling smugly at the prospect of having the upper hand. “Then what did you mean?” 

Hyunjin was able to quickly regain her composure—unsettling Ryujin with the way Hyunjin’s face quickly transitioned from a troubled expression to a joyous one within a span of a second. “I meant that I do have a crush. And I always will have a crush.” 

At that point, Ryujin was just confused. Utterly and inexplicably confused. “Dude, what?” 

“Heejin’s my crush!” Hyunjin said excitedly, almost as if it was her biggest accomplishment. 

“But you’re dating her.” 

Hyunjin nodded. “I am.”

Ryujin’s known Hyunjin all her life—from the moment they could kick a soccer ball, they’d been by each other’s side forever—but she’ll never, ever, be able to fully understand Hyunjin's mind and her thought processes. 

“Okay, run that by me again. This time, elaborate.” Ryujin positioned her body so that she was facing Hyunjin, ready to take in information she hoped would make more sense the second time around. 

“I—me,” Hyunjin gestured to herself with both hands, nodding and speaking slowly as if she were talking to a drowsy child who wasn’t listening. Ryujin let her continue like that if only to watch the whole thing unfold. “I am dating Heejin; very pretty girl— a very pretty skater girl—is a weeb, looks like a puppy, you know her, you are friends with her.” 

“Rings a bell.” It only seemed fun to play along with Hyunjin. 

“We’re dating.” 

“Yes, you mentioned it already.”

“I had a crush on her before. I have a crush on her now. I’ll have a crush on her tomorrow and onward. Get what I’m saying?” 

Somehow, with all the crazy bullshit Hyunjin managed to spew out, it made a little sense to Ryujin. 

Relenting, Ryujin decided to go along with it again. “Okay, yeah, sure.”

“No, no. I mean,” Hyunjin cut herself off, suddenly leaning forward to place her hand on Ryujin’s arm while giving her an odd look that reminded Ryujin of an awkward parent trying desperately to bond with their kid. “Do you really get it?”

Looking at the hand on her arm and then looking back at Hyunjin, Ryujin slowly moved her arm away until Hyunjin’s hand slipped off. “Yeah?” She didn’t sound too sure of herself because she honestly was confused about where her friend was trying to take the conversation. “Man, just explain it to me. Stop doing this weird voodoo shit.” 

Ryujin slapped Hyunjin’s hand when it was trying to snake its way back to Ryujin’s arm, giving her a weird look as she rubbed the sore spot. “Ow, fine. You’re stupid and no fun anyway,” she grumbled, slightly pouting while Ryujin only rolled her eyes, gesturing for her to get on with it. “You could have what me and Heejin have with Yeji.” 

“A crush that lasts an eternity?” 

“Well, yeah! Sure!” Ryujin swore that Hyunjin replicated the exact image of a dog wagging its tail after being praised. 

“God, you’re fuckin’ stupid.” Without waiting to hear what kind of retort Hyunjin had, Ryujin got up from the couch and made her way toward their kitchenette. 

“Dude, aw c’mon!” she heard Hyunjin call from behind her, but Ryujin was already walking around the counter and opening their fridge for anything she could snack on. “I’m trying to help you out here!” 

“You’re not doing shit!” she called back, scouring each shelf in their fridge despite finding nothing too appetizing to her. “All you’ve been doing is talking shit.” 

She closed the fridge after a fruitless search, huffing out a breath in annoyance when she realized they’d have to go to the grocery store soon. “I’m just trying to make a point!” 

“Well, your point is jack shit!” Growing frustrated with the lack of food in their home, Ryujin turned around to lean against the counter, finally facing Hyunjin and noticing how she made herself sprawled across the entirety of the couch. 

“Don’t you want to date Yeji?” 

The question came out of nowhere, stunning Ryujin enough that she couldn’t even form a single coherent thought in her mind. Because all of a sudden all she could think about was being with Yeji. 

Her silence only gave Hyunjin the answer she was looking for. 

“Ha! See?” Hyunjin sprung off the couch, bounding over to the counter that separated the kitchenette and the living room, placing both hands on the wood as she leaned forward. “You do!”

“I didn’t even say anything,” Ryujin argued, fighting hard to try and compose herself. 

“You didn’t have to.” Hyunjin sat down onto one of the stools, placing her elbows on the counter with her head in her hands, giving Ryujin an innocent expression that only made her want to smack right off her face. “You, my dear friend, want to date our young and beautiful Yeji.”

“I’m telling her you said that about her.” It was a weak attempt to try and break Hyunjin’s ego down—one she had to try just to see if it would at least knock Hyunjin down a few pegs. 

“Go ahead.” Ryujin scowled. “I’m sure she’d like the compliment, but you know what I’d think she’d love even more?” Ryujin crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to look at Hyunjin now that she felt figuratively cornered by her. But from the corner of her eye, Ryujin saw how Hyunjin cupped her hands around her mouth and theatrically whispered, “ _Hearing that from you_.” 

Fortunately for Ryujin, Hyunjin’s phone pinged with the reminder signaling that Heejin and Yeji’s class was almost over. 

**“** Perfect timing, I’d say.” Ryujin watched with a glare as Hyunjin hopped off the stool—not before leaving Ryujin’s phone on the counter—and walking toward her room through the hallway. “Let’s go get something to eat after we pick ‘em up!” Hyunjin called out, disappearing from view as Ryujin stepped forward to collect her phone.

With Hyunjin gone, Ryujin had a little free time to collect her thoughts, trying hard to figure out why she froze up so easily from the question earlier.

Did she want to date Yeji?

She'd be lying to herself if the thought hadn't crossed her mind. And the more she dwelled on it, the more she wanted it to become a reality. She didn't even know when it had come to that point, but it happened and the feeling wasn't going away anytime soon. 

So, the answer was yes. 

_She did want to date Yeji._

~~〄〄〄~~

"Where are they?" Ryujin asked impatiently, sitting against a tree with Hyunjin next to her. 

They had been waiting outside the building for a while now, forcing themselves to entertain the other with dumb little games like chasing each other around in the grass or trying to climb up a tree to the very top (they got caught by a professor walking by, getting humiliatingly scolded by him until he left, only leaving Hyunjin and Ryujin back to their own devices). 

"I dunno," Hyunjin mumbled, pulling blades of grass out of the ground next to her. "I think Heejin said they had some kind of test or something."

"Well, they are taking their god damn time, aren't they?" Hyunjin only grunted, growing just as impatient as Ryujin. 

It was a Friday, meaning neither Hyunjin or Ryujin had any classes or soccer practice while the other two only had one class in the morning. Ryujin and Hyunjin always made the effort to go meet up with them after so they could take the rest of the day to do whatever they liked whether that meant going somewhere to get lunch or finding something to do to pass the time. 

"So," Hyunjin began when minutes passed and still no sign of the two girls yet. "What are you gonna do about Yeji?"

Ryujin chalked it up to no longer trying to deny it, if she tried, Hyunjin would shoot her down too quickly and then there'd be no escape. 

"I dunno." Ryujin tugged lightly at her shoe strings, trying to occupy herself so she wouldn't feel so awkward talking about it. "I don't want to mess things up between... us and everyone else." She finally voiced her biggest fear to Hyunjin. It sent her heart hammering and her nerves skyrocketing. 

She's known Hyunjin ever since she was little, but she met Heejin and Yeji two years ago for their freshman year of college. So what happens if Yeji doesn't reciprocate her feelings? Or what if they do— _somehow_ , by some miracle—they do end up dating (a terrifying thought for Ryujin) but something happens and they end things on a bad note? There were all these possibilities haunting Ryujin and she didn't know what to do or how to go about any of it. 

"You're... scared?" Ryujin grimaced, she hated being called that—and Hyunjin knew it too. It just sucked that much more to admit that she was. Her silence must have been enough of an answer because Hyunjin bumped her shoulder lightly. "You know there's nothing to be scared of, right?"

But Ryujin scoffed because there was so much riding on her shoulders and if she fucked up, what happens then? A strain in the group? A falling out? She wouldn't know what to do with herself if everything about their little group fell apart. 

"You know, it's kinda common knowledge that Fred and Daphne had a thing with each other." Ryujin shouldn't have expected anything less from Hyunjin, but it still baffled her the way she randomly brought up the romance of two characters from a kid's TV show.

"What the fuck does that have to do with anything?" She ran a hand tiredly through her hair, regretting ever getting into this situation to begin with. 

"Uh, hello?" Hyunjin lightly tapped the top of Ryujin's head—to which she immediately recoiled from the touch. "Fred and Daphne? You and Yeji? C'mon, Ryu, you're smarter than that. Or, well, maybe you're not." In retaliation to her little quip, Ryujin shoved Hyunjin's shoulder, hoping to knock her down but the latter only laughed and knocked Ryujin's hand away. 

"That doesn't mean anything," she grumbled. 

"Sure it does!" Hyunjin positioned herself so that she was facing Ryujin, leaning forward and off the tree from where she had been resting against it. "You know Shaggy and Velma dated too?"

But Ryujin hadn't known that. "No? Wait, really?"

"Really!" She nodded eagerly. "Shaggy and Velma." She then gestured to herself, "Me and Heejin." 

"Are you for real?" 

"I'm being completely serious, Ryu. One hundred percent." 

It was quite the coincidence considering they had assigned each other characters before Hyunjin and Heejin began dating. Ryujin was surprised to see it all come together like that. 

"And you know what that means?" Ryujin leaned her head back against the tree, closing her eyes and bracing herself for the teasing Hyunjin was about to unleash on her. " _You and Yeji have the same fate_ ," she had whispered it dramatically. Had the doors to the building not opened right after Hyunjin had said that, she would have decked her in the face. 

"Sorry!" Like some cruel trick, Ryujin's eyes opened the moment she recognized the voice, landing immediately on Yeji as she walked down the steps with Heejin in tow. "The test was pretty hard and Heejin was taking forever to finish."

"Okay, but what did you get for the second question, Yeji?" Heejin asked, too preoccupied worrying over her test results to greet her girlfriend who had sprung up the second they had walked out. 

(And it was quite comical seeing how dejected Hyunjin looked when she was not given a second of Heejin's time. Karma truly loves to make her arrival when she pleases, and Ryujin was not complaining one bit.)

"B, I think." Ryujin slowly got up, meeting the other three halfway as they all gathered under the tree. 

"What?" Heejin, somehow, looked even more distressed than when she exited the building. "I put D!"

"Hi, babe." Ryujin almost burst out laughing. Just the way Hyunjin sounded so meek trying to get her girlfriend's attention when she was standing right next to her was the cream of the crop for her. Yeji must have noticed her near outburst because she got a swift jab to her ribs from her elbow, but even Ryujin saw the smile threatening to break out on Yeji's face.

"Hey, hi," Heejin mumbled, still not fully acknowledging Hyunjin as she asked Yeji more questions. "Okay, what about twelve?"

Ryujin watched the pout form on Hyunjin's face, enjoying the way she just couldn't hold Heejin's attention. 

"B again."

"Damn it!"

Ryujin was only human; she had to laugh at Heejin's dismay but she wasn't cold-hearted, she was at least somewhat concerned about Heejin's grade. "Hey," she called out to Heejin, unintentionally interrupting Hyunjin when she was about to speak, "I'm sure you did fine, don't stress too much about it."

But Heejin only groaned, turning to lean into Hyunjin's embrace—the latter, who brightened up at the display of affection, easily wrapped her arms around Heejin to gently rock her back and forth in an effort to ease her worries.

"Was the test really that bad?" Ryujin asked Yeji quietly, letting the couple be absorbed into their own little world for a bit. 

Yeji only shrugged, bringing a hand up to scratch the back of her neck. "It was pretty tough, yeah."

"I've got an idea!" All eyes went to Hyunjin, who was now sporting an excited grin despite Heejin still sulking in her arms. "We've got the rest of the day to do whatever, right?" Everyone nodded, waiting for Hyunjin to explain her big plan so that they could get going. "I can hit up my plug to give us some stuff to _relax,_ " as she said it, she waggled her eyebrows up and down in a suggestive manner. 

It'd been a while since any of them ever got to relax like _that_ , so Ryujin was all for it. Grinning and nodding, she agreed with Hyunjin, "I'm down."

"Anything is better than this misery," Heejin muttered, slightly muffled from the way she was pressed against Hyunjin's chest when she said it. 

"Perfect!" Pulling out her phone while still keeping one arm around Heejin, Hyunjin began leading the way. "I'll text her right now so she can give me the goods."

Walking behind Hyunjin and Heejin and beside Yeji, Ryujin risked a glance at Yeji who had taken her phone out as well. But she took the opportunity to admire Yeji for a moment, the denim jacket she wore over a white t-shirt, the matching white-washed blue jeans, and the white converse. While Ryujin hated being sappy and cliche, she couldn't help but think that she pulled off the simple look so well. 

"Hey, are we going to That Happy Feelin'?" Yeji asked without looking away from her phone. 

"Yes, ma'am, we are!" Hyunjin answered from ahead.

A smile formed on Yeji's face at the confirmation and when she pocketed her phone she turned to Ryujin with that same beaming smile, rendering her brain to mush as it short-circuited at the simple action. 

How did she end up like this?

~~〄〄〄~~

By the time they had made it to the restaurant, a short girl that Ryujin had grown to know through Hyunjin was already waiting for them outside with large sunglasses covering her eyes and a lollipop in her mouth. It only took minutes for Hyunjin to give her some cash and for it to be swapped with a bag containing some colorful gummy bears. 

After the quick interaction, the girl mounted her bicycle and leisurely rolled away, leaving the four girls to excitedly enter the retro diner and eat to their heart's content. 

That Happy Feelin' was their go-to for comfort food. While it was straight-forward and simplistic with its menu, it always packed a punch and made it their favorite restaurant around town. And the aesthetic was simply to die for with its retro get-up and the checkered tiles and the pristine teal booths and stools, low hanging dim lights, decorations to make everything pop, the vintage jukebox in the back with all the greatest hits from all the decades from Elvis Presley to Abba to even Queen. It's got everything to make you feel like you've traveled back in time. 

But no one ever seemed more excited and at home than Yeji when she walks in. The head cook in the back knew her name and her usual order, always greeting her first, always treating her to a free drink of her liking, always making sure her food was perfect, he even let her choose a song from the jukebox by placing four quarters at the end of the bar. 

(It wasn't like Sullie, the head cook and owner of That Happy Feelin', disregarded the other girls, it's just for some reason, he had a special soft spot for Yeji—not in a creepy way but in the nice, kind of family friend type of way. Ryujin didn't know how to really explain it, the two had some sort of bond that was beyond her. But maybe Sullie wasn't too fond of Hyunjin or Ryujin that much because one time they almost picked a fight with some football players after a _small_ disagreement.)

"Hi, Sullie!" Yeji greeted, making a beeline a booth to hastily drop her bookbag before dashing to the counter where four quarters were already waiting for her, picking them up hastily before practically skipping over to the jukebox. 

"Hey, sugar," Sullie's deep, gravelly voice was always such a contrast to Yeji's pitch. "Hey, girls," he greeted the other three warmly, working behind the counter that had an open view of the kitchen. 

They all waved to him as they moved towards _their_ booth, one of the ones in the middle of the other booths and next to the window. Hyunjin and Heejin were on one side while Ryujin was on the other waiting for Yeji to get back from the jukebox. They quickly glanced over the menu before setting them aside and delving into a light conversation with each other. 

"Does Haseul know Yeojin's, like, a mini drug dealer?" Heejin asked while toying with Hyunjin's fingers on the table. 

"Nah, she's oblivious. She only sells weed, you're makin' it sound like she sells cocaine and LSD." Hyunjin replied, distracted while scrolling through her phone with her free hand. Ryujin snorted at the thought of one of their most responsible friends having a little sister deal on the side to her friends. 

"I mean," Ryujin laughed, finding her own thought comical, "at least she's getting a head start on makin' a living."

It got a laugh out of the couple just as Yeji came speeding by, the sound of some rock 'n roll music filling the diner as she arrived. "Hey, you guys got your orders?" Yeji asked, receiving yeses all around before she dashed off to the counter, leaning against it and telling Sullie each of their orders. 

"Why doesn't she just work here already?" Hyunjin asked.

"She's been thinking about it," Heejin replied, still busying herself with Hyunjin's hand. 

In no time, Yeji's back and sitting next to Ryujin. "So," Yeji grinned, placing her hands over the table and drumming them lightly to the beat of the song playing from the Jukebox. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothin' much," Ryujin responded, smiling toward Yeji when she watched her fingers tap the table at the exact beat of the song. "What song did you put on?"

Yeji turned to her quickly, her brows raised in a way that made her look like a sad puppy. "You don't know it?" And, god, if Ryujin could've just shut her mouth so she wouldn't have had to hear how dejected Yeji sounded. "'Devil in Disguise'? By Elvis? Elvis Presley?" Yeji turned to Hyunjin and Heejin who only wore blank expressions. "Really?"

"It sounds familiar?" Heejin offered, but it still didn't uplift the pout on Yeji's lips. 

"Oh." Ryujin was expecting Hyunjin, or even Heejin, to pick up the conversation after that but instead, she felt a sharp kick to her shin. Wincing and about ready to curse Hyunjin out (and maybe even kicked out for causing a disturbance), she was met with a pointed glare from the kicker in question. 

Whatever telepathic message Hyunjin was trying to send to Ryujin was just not connecting because she had no idea what Hyunjin wanted her to do. However, Hyunjin discreetly pointed to Yeji, and when Ryujin glanced at her all she saw was her now slumped posture against the booth, her fingers no longer tapping as lively as they had before, and Yeji simply staring off into space. 

And it suddenly connected in Ryujin's mind. 

Taking the initiative, Ryujin cleared her throat and commented, "It's a good song, though. I really like it." 

It seemed like that was enough to cheer Yeji up because she faced Ryujin with a bright smile that rejuvenated her on the spot. And, god, she just _loved_ seeing that smile.

(She was owning up to it, Ryujin really was.)

"Me too!" Heejin jumped in excitedly, even going as far as bouncing a bit in her seat next to Hyunjin. "It's really good!"

Before anyone could tease Heejin about her ridiculous little dance (namely Ryujin or Hyunjin ), Sullie came by with two trays in each hand. "All right, ladies. Who had the burger?"

~~〄〄〄~~

"Who's ready to get their shit fuckin' rocked?" Hyunjin asked the moment they made it up to their apartment floor, holding up the bag of gummies as if they were some kind of grand prize. 

Which, to some college students just looking for a good time, they might as well have been. 

So they all cheered excitedly, corralling into Hyunjin and Ryujin's apartment after they had made a short trip to the local convenience store to stack up on snacks (especially since Ryujin and Hyunjin get the most hungry when they're high) and after Heejin and Yeji dropped their stuff off and changed into more comfortable clothing.

(Ryujin couldn't help but admit that she loved seeing Yeji in huge hoodies and pajama shorts and mismatched fuzzy socks.)

Ryujin immediately made her way to the couch, content to take up the entire space while everyone else got situated. "All right, we're each taking two of these suckers." Hyunjin began distributing the gummies to everyone, immediately popping them into their mouths as they waited for the edibles to kick in. "I don't want anyone literally braindead while we watch this movie."

This was the first she was hearing of any movie. "What movie?"

But all Hyunjin did was grin before dashing toward the hallway and emerging with blankets and pillows, setting them all over the floor and tossing Ryujin her favorite blanket. She was already herding Heejin toward the floor with her arrangement all set up, pushing the coffee table aside while she grabbed the remote. 

Ryujin decided that a surprise movie wouldn't be so bad and decided to stay mum about trying to derail whatever Hyunjin had chosen. But just as she was about to settle down and bury herself in her blanket, she saw Yeji seat herself away from Hyunjin and Heejin (who were already tangled up under a blanket or two). And Ryujin wasn't selfish, the main reason she had taken the couch was so that the lovesick couple wouldn't have snatched it from her, but now that she had it, she figured there was too much space for only one person. 

Sitting up and leaning forward, she lightly tapped Yeji's shoulder as Hyunjin began browsing through Amazon Video. When she turned around, Ryujin patted the couch and watched the grin form on Yeji's face before she clambered up next to Ryujin. She even shared the blanket with Yeji (ultimately bringing them closer together, but Ryujin wasn't complaining).

"Hyunjin. No." At the sound of Heejin denying something to Hyunjin, Ryujin turned toward them on the floor before she looked up towards the TV. 

Ryujin physically felt herself falter at the sight. 

Because right there on the screen, Hyunjin was hovering over the "Rent" option for _Cats_. The musical everyone declared a monumental Hollywood failure. "Fuck no, Hyunjin. No," Ryujin practically pleaded. There was absolutely no way they were going to watch this colossal disaster of a movie while baked. 

"What? Oh no, Hyunjin, no." Even Yeji was trying to persuade Hyunjin to not let them sit through the torturous trip. 

"So, all I'm hearing is..." she dragged the word out, leaving everyone on edge until she clicked a button on the remote and then the movie was rented. "A yes!" 

Everyone groaned, dreading what was to come.

"Why, Hyunjin? Literally, why?" Ryujin pinched the bridge of her nose, wanting so badly to just jump Hyunjin and wrestle for the remote to at least put on something half decent. 

"No, guys, trust me, trust me." All Ryujin wanted to do was knock some sense into Hyunjin's empty head because there was no way this was going to be well at all. "Once the fuckin' gummies kick in it's going to be the wackest shit ever. Plus," she pointed at the TV, pressing play and beginning the movie, "I already rented it." 

"You're insane, you're fuckin' insane." Ryujin hoped the high would kick in quickly because she doesn't know how much she could take from badly animated CGI. 

"Babe, this was just not it. There are so many other movies we could have watched, why this one?" Heejin mumbled, but it was just loud enough for everyone to hear. 

"Oh, ye of little faith. It's gonna be a blast."

Briefly, she looked over at Yeji only to catch her fearful gaze. It was only a little funny how scared she looked but, honestly, Ryujin felt the same. "On a scale of one to ten," Ryujin asked, shifting herself closer to Yeji and lowering her voice as the movie began, "how terrible do you think this is gonna be?"

"Fifty," Yeji said automatically, making Ryujin snort. "No doubt." 

"Agreed." 

For whatever reason, Ryujin couldn't ever feel herself being awkward or shy around Yeji after fully understanding her thoughts. She wasn't some teenager in some rom-com struggling to get their crush's attention because she was already close to her crush. All it took was the courage to make that leap she wasn't yet ready for. 

But she'll get there. Eventually, she will. 

~~〄〄〄~~

It had only been twenty or thirty minutes into the movie (and twenty or thirty minutes too far for Ryujin's liking) when Ryujin began feeling the effects of the gummies work their magic. That tingly feeling she had grown to love was setting in and her head was feeling lighter than a feather. It seemed like it was also kicking in for Yeji because she was quietly giggling at nearly every single thing on the screen. 

She wasn't too sure about Hyunjin or Heejin, they had been a little quiet below them but it also might have been because Ryujin kept making snide remarks about whatever she disliked about the movie (which was the majority of it thus far) to Yeji who always thought they were comical. 

And for the life of her, Ryujin just could not pinpoint what was going on in the movie. There were people imitating talented singing and dancing cats with the worst possible looks flitting all around the stage doing whatever it was they were doing with some pretty decent music (Ryujin couldn't lie about that) playing constantly. Her biggest mistake was not listening to the lyrics because she found out too late that that was the key to at least getting a grasp over what was going on. 

Instead, Ryujin had been too horrified and distracted by the look of the "cats" to pay too much attention to whatever the story was. Rebel Wilson and Jason Derulo being transformed into such monstrosities had forever scarred her mind—Ryujin thought she would never be able to look at them the same. 

(However, while Ryujin absolutely couldn't get over Derulo's odd look, she couldn't quite get herself to dislike "The Rum Tug Tugger"song. It was catchy and it had a fast-paced beat she really enjoyed. She even caught on to some of the lyrics only to dramatically sing them to Yeji with an imaginary microphone, successfully getting her to laugh along to her antics—not that it took much in Yeji's current state.)

"Yeji," she mumbled, her eyes never leaving the screen once cat-James Corden came on screen, "do you have any fuckin' idea about what's going on?"

But Yeji, in all her glory, only ducked her head to try and hide her laughter, bringing it back up to shake her head. "Singing mutated cats," she had struggled to even get the three words out without breaking out into laughter. 

"Gee, thanks," Ryujin deadpanned, having some trouble containing her laughter due to Yeji's contagious behavior. "I never would have thought."

Yeji, in what seemed like an attempt to stop Ryujin's sarcasm, had shoved Ryujin's shoulder—nearly toppling them both over in the process—but only engaging them into a fit of giggles. 

"Shh!" They heard it from somewhere below them, but Ryujin couldn't decipher whether it was Hyunjin or Heejin who had shushed them in the first place. What baffled Ryujin even more was that whoever it was that quieted them seemed invested in the movie enough to try and pay attention to it.

And when she looked back up at the movie only to be met with the cat version of James Corden stuffing himself with unappetizing food with the other cats around him doing so, she just couldn't get herself to watch the scene any longer. Instead, she groaned and leaned forward until her forehead met Yeji's shoulder before mumbling, "I can't do it, Yeji. This is torture."

Rather than an agreement from Yeji, all she heard was a loud gasp before she heard the girl whisper, "Macavity took him!" 

But Ryujin had no idea who Macavity was or who he took or why it was so bad so she just decided to stay quiet in her position. It was miles better than watching that horrendous movie while barely being high. 

~~〄〄〄~~

Roughly halfway through the movie and the high hit her like a freight train going double the speed. The movie, which had been confusing enough being sober, was an elongated rollercoaster with too many loops and too many steep hills. 

New cats being introduced left and right that she's unable to keep up with them (besides the notable stars and big names), the music was catchy but she couldn't catch the meaning behind any of them, much less what the actual story was. 

Albeit, it was hard to concentrate when it felt like she was floating in space and the cats on the screen looked like monstrosities. And when she looked down at Yeji, she saw her fully immersed into the movie, completely captivated by it and Ryujin just couldn't imagine how. 

As another musical number played out where the cats were suddenly on some kind of railroad singing and dancing (as cats do, of course), Ryujin turned toward the kitchen idly. She just needed to give her eyes a break from the screen, but as she looked over in the dark side of the room, she saw something move across the counter. 

Ryujin wasn't really the paranoid type, but with the marijuana already messing with her mindset, it did a number on her. 

Subconsciously, she shifted herself closer to Yeji, practically becoming glued to her side as she kept her eyes trained in the kitchen. 

Whether or not Yeji knew how paranoid Ryujin felt, she looped their arms together under the blanket and tugged her impossibly closer. It worked wonders in calming her down. 

But there was still that lingering suspicion as she watched for any more movement on the other side of the room. 

Except whatever she saw that had been on the counter jumped down and disappeared from sight. 

Every hair on her body was on its end as she looked everywhere for any sign of whatever it was she saw—because she still had no idea what it was. Were it not for Yeji keeping her grounded, Ryujin would've dashed into her room and never come back out.

Just as she was about to drop it and turn back toward the movie, something jumped up onto the armrest—scaring the absolute shit out of her—and meowed right in her face. 

"Jesus fuck," she gasped out, a hand resting over her jumpy heart before she reached out for Butternut to headbutt her palm. "You're not like them, right?" she mumbled, scratching behind his ear. "You're no weird Jellicle cat, you're a pretty Burmese cat."

"What're you talking—" Yeji cut herself off with a gasp, reaching over Ryujin to pet Butternut who seemed to love all the attention he was getting, purring loudly under their hands.

(It might've been just the high making her head spin, but maybe it was Yeji's close proximity as well. Either way, she was silently thanking Butternut for his frightening arrival.)

~~〄〄〄~~

It felt like the movie had been going on for seven hours. But it had to be almost over. It had to be. 

On the screen now was a gathering of all the cats around the one they had shunned away from the tribe or whatever it was—Ryujin still had absolutely no idea. But she was the only one singing and it would've been a very powerful number if she just didn't look so ridiculous in the CGI.

It seemed a lot more emotional for Yeji because when Jennifer Hudson (Ryujin recognized the actress but not the character despite being an important role) began crying during her song, that's when Ryujin heard the sniffles next to her. 

Turning over, Ryujin watched the way Yeji was sort of hiding behind the blanket, raising it up to cover just below her eyes as she kept them glued to the screen with tears streaming down onto the blanket. 

And while it tore at Ryujin's heart she couldn't help but laugh quietly at the sight. Who cried during a musical about singing and dancing cats?

"Are- are you crying, Yeji?" she whispered, not wanting to raise attention to her inner dilemma. But when Yeji turned to her with her bloodshot eyes (whether it was due to the cannabis or the crying, Ryujin was sure it was due to both) Ryujin laughed a little more before she instinctively opened her arms to her. Yeji immediately sank into her arms, wrapping them tightly around Ryujin's waist as she buried her face into the crook of Ryujin's shoulder. "Why are you crying?" She still couldn't help but laugh a little at Yeji's state, rubbing her back soothingly in an attempt to calm her down. 

"G-Grizabella was never welcomed by anyone and- and they treated her so badly," Yeji's embrace somehow got impossibly tighter around her, but Ryujin didn't mind, as long as she didn't let go anytime soon. "But she- she's giving it her all now a-and Old Deuteronomy's choosing her out of ev- everyone." It was all gibberish to Ryujin, whatever Yeji was trying to explain about the scene, she just couldn't get it. "She d-deserves this so much." 

Ryujin was sure it was the high talking, it might have even been a little bit of the stress from that rough test earlier. But all she had to do at that moment, even with her head still high in the clouds, was comfort and help Yeji go through this _tough_ time for her.

It only took a few moments for Yeji to calm down, but she wasn't making much of a fuss to begin with, she was just a little shook up. 

Over a CGI animated singing human-cat, but Ryujin couldn't judge her for it.

She couldn't when Yeji fit so snugly in her arms, so relaxed and comfortable. Ryujin loved the feeling so much, she never thought she'd get over it. i

It might have been the high talking, but even in her state, Ryujin knew. She knew she needed Yeji in her arms more and more, she knew she needed to break past the barrier of their friendship and make that final leap. 

And she'll land the jump. She'll land on the other side and make it with Yeji. She'll do it.

* * *

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i am not ashamed to admit that i got high and watched the cats movie and then i almost cried at the end when grizabella was singing and then i proceeded to look up the story analysis of cats. so i understand what happened in the movie/musical. and yes, i regret it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trust me i could have gone into so much depth with experiencing cats while high i promise you its a much bigger trip than i could even put into words


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